Chiefs at Broncos: What bettors need to know

Peyton Manning always seems to be the center of attention and that will again be the case - albeit for a different reason - when the Denver Broncos host the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night in a showdown for first place in the AFC West. Manning's health, and his ailing right ankle in particular, is the No. 1 storyline as the Broncos attempt to hand the Chiefs their first loss in the first of two meetings between the clubs in the next three games.

Manning and interim coach Jack Del Rio insist he will be ready to play despite not practicing Wednesday but his mobility is a huge concern against a defense that leads the league with 36 sacks and has surrendered an NFL-low 12.3 points per game. "We're definitely on high alert in wanting to protect our quarterback," said Del Rio, who is serving as head coach while John Fox recovers from heart valve surgery. The upstart Chiefs are coming off a bye with the knowledge that coach Andy Reid is 13-1 following a week off.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC.

LINE: Denver opened -9.5. The total is down to 49 from the opening 51.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the high-30s with partly cloudy skies.

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (9-0): Despite its perfect record, Kansas City has been the target of criticism for a perceived soft schedule - none of its opponents currently have a winning record - and the fact that four of the last five wins came against teams playing a backup at quarterback. The Chiefs have had a string of close calls but their defense has yet to allow more than 17 points while scoring six defensive touchdowns and ranking sixth in passing yards allowed at 208.3 per game. Wideout Dwayne Bowe will start despite an arrest earlier in the week for an offense that relies on the efficiency of quarterback Alex Smith and the running of Jamaal Charles, who has 725 yards rushing and 47 receptions.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS (8-1): Manning tops the league in passing yards (3,249), touchdowns (33) and passer rating (121.0) while tossing only six interceptions in leading Denver's high-powered offense to a league-high 41.2 points per game. The Broncos were held under 30 points for the first time in last week's 28-20 win at San Diego as Manning threw for 330 yards and four TDs before aggravating a right ankle injury in the waning minutes. Wideouts Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and tight end Julius Thomas each have nine touchdown receptions while running back Knowshon Moreno has been a dual threat with eight rushing scores and 37 catches, including a season-high eight last week.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings.* Underdog is 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings.* Chiefs are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.* Over is 17-5-1 in Broncos last 23 vs. AFC.

OVERTIME:

1. Manning is tied with New England's Tom Brady (2007) for the most TD passes (33) through the first nine games of a season.

2. The Chiefs, seeking the first 10-0 start in franchise history, are the first NFL team to open 9-0 after posting the worst record the previous season.

3. Manning is 8-0 against the AFC West since joining Denver and 9-1 in his career versus the Chiefs.

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1* Cleveland (1:00 ET): The chances for the Browns to avoid the infamy of 0-16 are rapidly dwindling. They are just four games left, but realistically there's probably only two shots where they have a legit chance to win, Dec 24th vs. San Diego and here. This week they are coming off a bye and hosting Cincinnati. I'll recommend to take the points.

It's not as if the Browns haven't been competitive. In fact, they actually outgained the Giants two weeks ago in a 27-13 loss. That game really swung on a defensive score by the G-Men. Despite what the final scores might indicate, they've been competitive in four of the last five games. That doesn't even include close losses to Baltimore, Miami and Tennessee earlier in the year. Robert Griffin III, out since Week 1, is expected to be back this week as the starting QB. Coming off a bye and still motivated to avoid NFL history ('08 Lions only 0-16 team in history), the Browns are a solid value this week. Consider that the "lookahead" line for this game was only +3.5.

The Bengals turned in one of their best performances of the year last week, routing Philadelphia 32-14. But it's "too little, too late" here as a 4-7-1 SU record is probably too big of a hole to climb out of. Even if they were to win out, I'm not sure the Bengals would get into the playoffs. The offense is without WR AJ Green and unlike LW, this is a road game. So far this year, the Bengals are 1-5 SU and 0-6 ATS away from home. After being darlings at the betting window LY, Cincy is just 3-8-1 ATS overall in 2016. With Browns HC Hue Jackson being the Bengals former OC, might there be a little sympathy on the sidelines? Not sure, but Cleveland is also due to erase an 0-4 SU/ATS slide in this AFC North rivalry. 1* Cleveland

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